Co-producer Orion Williams told the Los Angeles Times that Pattinson is still in contention for the role, as no actor has been cast.

Williams said: "Penn is not involved in the film at all. It's crazy how these stories get out. (The producers) are all very unified in our search to find the perfect person to play Jeff.

"When you have a story about an individual like Jeff you get a lot of interest because his life was so impactful and so short. We're being very careful about it as we move forward. It takes a while to perfect this type of film. You've got to do it for the right reasons."

He added that preliminary meetings with Pattinson have been arranged, but the casting process will not start until October.